Should we vaccinate boys against HPV?

While the Human papilloma virus (HPV) is mostly known for causing cervical cancer in women, the fact it can also affect men is something many people are not aware of.

Now, Boots is offering HPV vaccination – a service that has been on offer to teenage girls in parts of the UK since 2008 – to boys aged 12+, in an attempt to complement the current programme. To understand a bit more about the process, we spoke to media GP Dr Christian Jessen.

HPV in boys

HPV is a cancer-causing virus that is spread through close skin-to-skin contact, often during sexual activity. According to Cancer Research UK, it currently infects approximately 8 out of 10 people (both men and women) at some point in their lives.

Nearly all cases of cervical cancers are related to the virus, but it also has links with other cancers that can affect men. Dr Christian says:

"The main two risks for boys are genital warts – penile and around the anus – but also there are several cancers that HPV is directly linked to. These include head and neck cancers, such as throat, back of tongue and tonsil cancer, as well as penile cancer and anal cancer."

HPV is often likened to an STI and, when it comes to risk levels, boys and girls a pretty much equal. Dr Christian adds:

"It's important to remember that HPV can be spread just through close skin to skin contact, it isn't just confined to penetrative sex. However, I would say the short answer is that all boys, essentially, are at risk because HPV is so common. That's why we want to give the vaccine to younger boys so that they're getting that protection before they become sexually active."

Vaccinating boys against HPV has become the norm in countries like Australia, where the jab has been available to men since 2013. Peter Baker, campaign director at HPV Action, says he hopes the UK will follow suit.

"Our primary objective as an organisation is that the NHS HPV vaccination programme should be extended to all teenage boys. Without this, almost 400,000 more boys each year are being left at risk from HPV-related cancers. In the meantime, it's important that parents and carers who want their sons to be vaccinated have the option of taking them to Pharmacies like Boots UK."

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The vaccine

The vaccine will be exactly the same for boys as it is for girls and, in Dr Christian's opinion, it should have been made available to teens of both genders from the start.

"It's always been poised as something that boys should have as well but the bottom line is that the NHS has not got unlimited resources and to roll out a reasonably expensive vaccine to both boys and girls would cost a lot. That means it was a question of prioritising it at a time when cervical cancer seemed to be the biggest risk."

Recent research shows the vaccination to have be responsible in a 90% fall in virus rates in Scottish girls since it began being administered nine years ago, and there are hopes that vaccinating boys as well will see a continuing drops in levels of associated conditions and prevent the spread of HPV.

"We should see a continuing reduction of problems in boys and girls if we're vaccinating both because clearly we'll be treating a much wider number of people. I think now we can really get to grips with tackling this disease and we'll see a real reduction in both genital warts and in cancer in the future."

Not just for teenagers

Dr Christian adds that, although the vaccine is aimed at boys and girls in the early stages of puberty, there is no reason why older men shouldn't benefit from it.

"In my opinion, I do think that older men can benefit from the vaccine. Clearly the more sexual partners you've had, the more likely you are to have picked up HPV, but we know now from research that's coming in that the vaccines do offer quite a lot of cross protection from several different HPV strains. For me, that makes it worth having because that boost to the immunity means you're more likely to clear the virus yourself should you get it, and this could potentially stop it developing into something worse."

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A message for parents

Vaccinations save lives, there's no doubt about it. But a worryingly vocal minority (including the president of the United States, Donald Trump) has spoken out against vaccines, claiming they cause dangerous side effects. But, says Dr Christian, the HPV vaccination's success rate among girls speaks for itself, and parents should put their trust in doctors.

"All drugs and all vaccines carry the possibility of side effects but that idea of an instant change as the result of a vaccine is extremely unlikely in the majority of cases. Nobody becomes a doctor to harm children and the idea that we would push for a product that's potentially harmful is deeply offensive."

He adds:

"My message to parents would be: Don't be naïve. Don't go thinking that your children won't have sex because I assure you they will. I would encourage parents to do their research surrounding vaccines and make up their own minds using carefully chosen, trustworthy sources so that your decision is informed and not based on feeling. We often make decisions based on feeling rather than fact and that is what a lot of concerns surrounding vaccines boil down to. I work in sexual health and I see the distress and I see the number of clinic appointments that these things take up, so I would say the HPV vaccine is as important as any other vaccine."

The Boots UK HPV vaccination service is available across 68 stores, for both males and females aged 12-44 years old with a specially trained pharmacist on hand to provide the vaccination and additional advice on sexual health. For more information, visit www.boots.com/hpv.

Jenny L. CookJenny Cook is an award-winning writer and editor who covers health and personal finance.

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